MSC Solicits Proposals To Charter Cruise Ship

Proposals to time-charter a passenger cruise ship to leave Miami on a secret mission are being solicited by the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC). Reportedly, the mission centers around anti-terrorist hijack training for 150 military and civilian personnel.

The MSC, which would reveal few details even to the cruise lines themselves, stated that the vessel, which is wanted for a return voyage on December 7-14, would be sub-chartered to an unidentified U.S. Government agency. Sources suspect the agency to be the Pentagon's super- secret Special Operations Command.

U.S.-flagged ships would be given preference, the MSC said, but the vessel could also be foreign-flagged.

According to the MSC: "The vessel is to be employed in a military exercise in the U.S. South Atlantic/ Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico waters.

Operations shall generally consist of a movement around a designated at-sea area with an estimated single port call during the charter period." Emphasizing that for security reasons military exercises are not usually revealed until 15-30 days prior to their start, both the Pentagon and the U.S. Navy Atlantic Command said they were unaware of any exercise in those areas at the stated time.

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